Automatic firing flare



March 1, 1938. o. GENTZEL AIUTOMATIC FIRING FLARE Filed Feb. 11, 1937 3Sheets-Sheet 1 li ll.

March L 1.938. O. GENTZEL AUTOMATIC FIRING FLARE Filed Feb. 11, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 arch 1, 1938. O GENTZEL 2,110,96i I AUTOMAT I C FIRINGFLARE Filed Feb. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N A" 47 25 46 1 w #5 PatentedMar. 1, 1938 JUNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC FIRING FLARE OttoGentzel, Monticello, N. Y., assignor of onethird to Harold Sturgis andone-third to Ruth Silberman, both of Monticello, N. Y.

Application February 11, 1937, Serial No. 125,340 7 Claims. (01. 1o2 24iThis invention relates to an aerial flare adapted in the holder l and italso has an outer cylinder to be fired automatically by an impactsufficient I5 and an inner cylinder It, all in concentric to injure avital part of a plane or other conspaced relation. Casing! is closedacross the veyance of the flare, by submersion, by impact bottom by awall ll. Cork or other buoyant mathrough dropping as well as manually.terial as at I8 is located between the casing l4 Another object is toprovide a construction and outer cylinder of shell 15 and inclinedopenwherein the automatic firing is accomplished in- 4 ings H! areprovided in alignment through the dividually or by a combination ofchemical, elecholder l0, casing l4, cork l8 and outer shell l5 trolytic,corrosive and mechanical action. so that in case of submersion, watermay pass It is particularly aimed to provide a device 01 through theopenings or passages I9 to the space 10 this character which willfacilitate the work of between the inner and outer shells l6 and I5searching parties in locating wrecked or missing and which is filledwith ammonium chlorid or aircraft. the like in a dry state as at 20.Adjacent the Another aim is to provide such a construction upper end ofthe flare, the shells I5 and I6 are as avoids dependence on fuses ortiming devices spaced apart as by means of an aluminum washer 15requiring setting or igniting previous to placing or ring 2| soldered orotherwise connected in a the samein water. moistureproof manner to themetallic shells l5 Still another object is to provide a construcand I6.

tion of flare which will operate successfully A Water tight closure, forinstance of cork, as though covered with ice. at 22 is connected to theupper end of the me- 20 Various additional objects and advantages willtallic casing M engaging the same, and the shells become apparent from aconsideration of the Hi and I 6 in a water tight manner.

description following taken in connection with Screw threaded at 23 tothe inner wall of the accompanying drawings illustrating an operativeinner shell I6 is a section 24 of a conical metallic 25 embodiment. headcompleted by an outer section 25, screw 25 In said drawings: threadedthereto as at 26. Within the section Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation showing the 25 is a metallic cone or abutment head 21 andflare mounted in a holder; depending therefrom is a metallic tube 28having ,"Figure 2 is a View showing the flare alone, an enlargement 29at its inner end and extending vertically disposed, partlyin elevationand partly and fastened to the inner wall 30 forming the 30 insection;bottom of the inner shell IS. The interior of the Figure 3 is a sideelevation showing the flare cone or head section 21 is filled with aquick suspendedby a parachute; acting fulminate or combustible materialat 3| Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal diametric which is disposedon fulminate or combustible sectional view through the flare and holder;material 32 Within the Shell u y er 35 a Figure 5 is a cross sectionalView taken on the acting. Section 24 has openings 33 therethrough line5-5 of Figure 4; which are covered by a material destructible by Figure6 is a cross sectional view taken on the fire, and for instancecollodion, celluloid or the line 6-6 of Figure 4, and like at 34, whichwhen destroyed, permits the Figure '7 is an enlarged view showing indetail entrance of air to the material 3| to aid in its 40 the mountingof the cartridge and incendiary combustion. projectile and adjacentparts. Located in the enlargement 29 is a cartridge Referringspecifically to the drawings wherein 35, f r insta of t army r fl typand 0 like reference characters designate like or similar actingtherewith and extending into the tube 28 parts, the flare is adapted tobe removably disp per is an incendiary proje e Cartridge 45 posed withina cylindrical holder l0, closed at its 35 is adapted to be fired so asto project the lower end II and open at its other end or top. D J'BO 36outwardly of the tube 23 With great Such holder is adapted to besupported or imp 1' f r against e cone 1' ad 27, mounted in aninclinedposition as by means of thereby firing the fulminate 3! for flaring pur-,50 a conventional bracket l2, the holder being poses and also to a apueject t flare r m mounted on an aeroplane or any other desired theholder I 0. vehicle. A cup 3! is soldered to the Wall 30 and locatedRemovably disposed within the holder I0 is a within the same is theoperative end 38 of a firing flare l3. Thisfiare comprises an outercylindrlpin 39, the latter extending slidably through the 55 cal casingl4 intimately but removably telescoped cup 31 and being adapted to movethrough an i e w v opening 40 in the wall 30 to engage the cap of theprojectile 35 in order to fire it. The firing pin 39 has an abutment onit at 4! engaged by an expansive spring 42 to urge firing movement ofthe pin but restrained by a screw 43, preferably of zinc, extendingthrough a wall 44 of a hydrogen chamber 35 and screw threaded at 46 intoa guide disk 4'! on the firing pin, which slidably engages the interiorsurface of a depending guide sleeve 48 carried by the cup 31. Hydrogenmay be supplied through a valve tube 49, from any suitable source intothe chamber 45 or any other suitable gas may be employed in lieuthereof. The materials forming the hydrogen chamber 45 are renderednon-corrosive due to the metal of which they are made for instance or ifof corrosive metal, they are lined with copper foil or the like.

A cushioning coil spring 50 is located between the closed end of holderH] and the wall I! of the casing i i.

The wall at the inner extremity of the space 28 is provided with disksor portions thereof of metal foil or soluble material hermeticallyconnected in place, as at 5! and in order to prevent attack thereof bythe dry ammonium chlorid 20, glass wool 52 is preferably interposed asshown.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the flare from theholder, a metallic wire 53 may be fastened to eyelets 54 and 55 providedon such parts, the wire being of such strength as to be readily brokenor fractured when the projectile 36 is fired and the flare catapults.

It will be realized that the buoyant cork or other material it willcause the apparatus to float in an upright position with the eyelet 54uppermost and the openings 89 sub-merged so that water will enter suchopenings or channels i9 and react with the ammonium chlorid or otherchemical at 20, seeping through the glass wool at 52 which chemicallyacts on the metal foil or soluble material 5|, entering the hydrogenchamber 29 and attacking the zinc element 43 whereby it is destroyed andthe spring 32 is released so that the firing pin will fire the cartridge35, projecting projectile 36 against the head 21, causing the flare tocatapult from the holder H], breaking the wire 53, firing the material3! and 32 and destroying the .material 34 so that air enters to assistcombustion.

One or more of the devices 5| may be fractured manually to set the flareinto operation "as by impact of a hammer against the outer end of a pin56 soldered to and bridging the casing l4 and outer shell I5.

It is also to be noted that the hydrogen gas 45 will react with theammonium chlorid at 2.0 so as to disintegrate or destroy the zinc screw43, to fire the flare.

In instances where the flare is used 'to light a certain area as forlandings or other purposes, the flare is not carried in a housing orholder such as it) but is suspended from a conventional parachute as at53 in Figure 3, the same being fastened to an eyelet 59 of a drawelement or rodzBD of non-corrosive metal, which slidably but in anair-tight manner passes through openings in the ring 2! and closure 22and which is fastened to one of the disks 5|, the weight of the flareand action of the parachute being suficient to .diS- rupt or displacesuch element 51 to enable admixture or chemical reaction of thehydrogenin tank 45 and the ammonium chlorid at 20, to disrupt the screw43 and thereby permit firing. It will be noted that the parachutesuspends the flare at a slight angle to the vertical.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:--

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a flare, a holder inwhich the flare is disposed, an incendiary projectile carried by theflare, means to fire the projectile, flare material ignitible throughthe firing of the projectile, and springs means between the holder andflare to lessen the recoil incident to firing.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a flare, a holder inwhich the flare is disposed, an incendiary projectile carried by theflare, means to fire the projectile, flare material ignitible throughthe firing of the projectile, spring means between the holder and flareto lessen the recoil incident to firing, and means connecting the flareand holder against accidental displacement adapted to be fracturedincidental to firing.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a flare, a holder inwhich the flare is disposed, an incendiary projectile carried by theflare, means to fire the projectile-flare material "ignitib le throughthe firing 0f the projectile, said flare having a buoyant body and meansoperable by water entering saidbodylto eflect the 'flring of theprojectile.

4. A flare of the class described having a casing, a shell in thecasing, a tube in the shell, said casing having combustible material:therein, a projectile, and means operable chemically through theadmixture of water or gas therewith to effect the firing of .theprojectile .to ignite the combustible material. E35

5. A flare of the class described having a-casing, a shell in thecasing, a tuberin theshell, said casing having combustible materialtherein, a projectile, means operable chemically through the admixtureof water or gas therewith-to effect the 'flring of the projectile toignite the combustible material, said shell having .meansdestructible byfiring to admit .air to assist combustion.

6. A flare of the class described having a casing, a shell in thecasing, a tube in the shell, said casing having combustible ,materialtherein, a projectile, means operable chemically ithrough the admixtureof water or :gas therewith Ito effect the firing of the projectile toignitethe combustible material, means about the first shell providing achamber to contain ammonium chlorid, means extending below the shells"to contain "-hydrogen, partition means between ime ammonium chlorid andhydrogen comprising a metallic foil capable of attack by ammoniumchlorid, 'glass wool between the ammonium chlorid and said foil.

'7. A flare of the-class describedhaving a casing, a shell in thecasing, a tubein the shell, said casing having "combustible materialtherein, .a. projectile, means operablechemically throug'hthe admixtureof water or gas therewith to effect the firing of the projectile toignite the combustible material, means about the first-shell-providing achamber to contain ammonium chlorid, means extending-below the shells.to contain :hydrogen, artition .means between the ammonium chlorid andvxhydrogen comprising-a :metallic foil capable of attack by ammoniumchlorid, glass wool -between the ammonium chlorid and said ifoll,;and adraw element connected to the foil and adapted :for connection toa-parachute.

one esmrzEL.

